By: Mohamed Abu Conteh
Foday Mubalie Football Academy has 15th July launched their Football Academy at the Robat Chiefdom Rokur Bamoi Luma Kambia district.
The historic event took place in Robat town few miles away from Rokur town with thousands of residents turning out to witness the event.
Dr. Hamaza Bangura the Co-founder of the Foday Mubalie Football Academy said as Resident of the Robat Chiefdom they feel happy to see that Football Academy and Foundation is in the district.
Noting that at first, the CEO Foday Bangura is noting thinking about constructing the Academy in his home town where he came from but rather, he was thinking about constructing it in Waterloo, but due to his advice and some development work he showed him time on his first visits from the United States move him to get (25) arch of Land and start the work of the Academy and the Foundation jointly.
He affirmed that since the Land of the Academy has been bought, they have started massive work at the site and that the Academy is the very first in the district and it needs the help of both the Government, Football Association and other partners to come on board and help to tap new talents in the district.
He further that the entire Chiefdom and district people are happy for the Football Academy in the district and they are ready to give their full support for it to be a centre for tapping new local players for the National teams in the Country.
Unisia Bangura the administrative head of the Foday Mubalie Football Academy said the Academy has start its operations some two years ago with ground works but it’s high time they officially launched it for the Public to know that Kambia district has gotten its first Academy. The Academy has three categories of players starting from Under (8) to under (18) players and for each category there are thirty players (30) they now have a total of over (100) players from all categories.
He further that since when they started work at the Academy the parents have been supportive in all aspects of the work and also making sure that their Children are always available for the technical team to teach them Football, noting that all the Children are School going and they are not encouraging any kids who are not going to School because there is life after Football which they want to impart in the Children.
Sorie Ibrahim Sesay the director of Competitions at Sierra Leone Football Association said he is highly impressed with the development he sees at the Foday Mubalie Academy the massive structures they have put up in that part of the Country has shows that they are up massive transformation of Football within the district.
He confirmed that the Sierra Leone Football Association is going to help in providing Technical and administrative support because the Football Association has huge plans in transforming Football in the district and their Academy will be the first point of call. He said the next license C coaching course that will be conducted by the Football Association the head coach of Foday Mubalie will be part of it.
Brima Tombo Juice time Ex- player of Mighty Blackpool and Senior National team said that the development he sees at the Foday Mubalie Academy is massive and they are heading at the right trajectory in developing Football in the district, but he, however, stress the area of sustainability, because some years back Cray Belamin former player of Manchester City, Liverpool built a Football Academy in Sierra Leone, but because of lack of sustainability the Academy in no longer in existence in the Country.
According to the CEO Foday Bangura, there are lots of proposals in place to do more work in Academy for it to be one of the best Football academies in the Country.